Thirty-three patients within the Mazor Mental Health Center are all diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar, or schizoaffective disorder which limits their physical activity abilities. They all participated in physical activity twice a week varying up to six months. The experiment was presented with two different groups; one group had patients who would exercise in this experiment for only three months, whereas the other group would participate for over three months. In conclusion, the severity of each patient’s illness was improved no matter the amount of training period (Mazyarkin). Although, the patients in the group that exercised for more than three months had an increase in their state of mood (Mazyarkin). Each group held an “improvement in the severity of the symptoms,” however, physical activity of three months or more showed an improvement in the negative symptoms and empathy. In conclusion, in order to receive the best results of physical activity, a patient with a mental illness that limits physical activity should participate in exercise for more than three months, however, if it is under three months there will still be an improvement.
Mazyarkin, Z., et al. “Health Benefits of a Physical Exercise Program for Inpatients with Mental Health; a Pilot Study.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 113, June 2019, pp. 10–16.